Guwahati: Union Minister of State L Murugan has tendered his resignation from the Union Council of Ministers and his Rajya Sabha membership, saying he wants to return to grassroots politics and focus on strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Murugan requested to be relieved of his ministerial responsibilities, citing his desire to devote himself full-time to party work in the state.

“Now, I wish to return to the grassroots, stand with our karyakartas and dedicate myself full-time to strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Nation First. Party Next. Self Last,” he wrote in a post on X.

The move has fuelled speculation about a possible Union Cabinet reshuffle. Murugan’s decision follows the resignations of Union ministers George Kurian and Ravneet Singh Bittu in June and July, respectively.

Murugan, who served as president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, entered the Union Cabinet in July 2021 during a reshuffle. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, with his term scheduled to end in 2030.

In his letter to Modi, Murugan expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve in the Union government and reflected on his background, saying he did not come from a political family.

“I do not come from a political family. I come from a very poor family. My parents, who worked as daily wage labourers and cattle grazers, continue to lead a simple life in Konur village. They could never have imagined that their son would one day serve in the Union Government,” he wrote.

Murugan said the Prime Minister’s commitment to India, Tamil Nadu and the BJP had motivated him, adding that he felt he should now devote more time to the work that had first brought him into public life.

He also referred to the Centre’s support for the Chennai Metro, the expansion of Tuticorin Port and highway development in Tamil Nadu.

Murugan was appointed BJP Tamil Nadu president in 2020 and later succeeded by K Annamalai. He has also been associated with student politics through the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

He contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris constituency but lost to DMK candidate A Raja. Despite the defeat, he was inducted into the NDA government’s Council of Ministers.